Leading Strategic One-On-Ones

Make the Most of One-On-One Meetings

A strategic one-on-one not only advances the seller’s skills but also advances their relationship with the manager. The seller's and the sales manager’s time is valuable. A one-on-one meeting means both professionals are stepping away from the selling activities. Therefore, the sales manager has a responsibility to make the time meaningful. Doing so means having a plan.

Leading Strategic One-On-Ones Module Overview

This module teaches sales managers and sales leaders how to effectively prepare for and execute strategic one-on-one meetings by focusing on the following topics.

• Big Picture: Start with the big picture. This is a more strategic view intended to set an overall context for the manager’s discussion.
• Green Flags: Just as a manager would do with balanced feedback, begin with positive feedback, referred to as Green Flags. These are the areas where the Sales Rep met or exceeded their performance targets and expectations, demonstrated strong skills or processes, or has shown growth.
• Red Flags: Then, the manager will move to those areas where the Sales Rep did not meet expectations for performance and/or needs to continue to focus.
• Sales Activities/Results: At this point, a manager will move to a more tactical and specific discussion of activities, plus past and current results.
• Help Needed: Then, the manager will move to a discussion about the specific commitments/support they can help with.
• Action Plans & Commitments: Finally, managers will then move to the specific commitments the Sales Rep agrees on which to act.

Preparation and execution are aided by managing a folder for each Sales Rep where important information is maintained (e.g., Pipeline Reports, Goals, Understanding Your People Worksheet)

Module Learning Objectives

Upon completing the module sales managers and leaders will be better able to:

• Identify objectives and aspirations of direct reports that can impact one-on-ones
• Execute the components of an engaging One-on-One agenda
• Effectively prepare for an upcoming One-on-One session
• Demonstrate practice role-playing a One-on-One meeting